Hitoshi Abe: On-the-Spot

The body of work which comprises Atelier Hitoshi Abe is a unique and beautiful collection of architectural experiments. As the author describes “architecture is a medium”, delicately balancing phenomena that emerge as particular forces within a given project. The projects fuse distinctions between architecture and landscape, image and material, architect and user, forging new collaborative relationships from which the practice continually develops.
This book highlights recent work by Atelier Hitoshi Abe in Japan. Projects are selected to explore Abe’s innovative approach to material, construction and practice, including the Reihoku Community Hall (2002), Aoba-tei restaurant (2005), the K-Museum (2005), temporary installations, and a recent exhibit in Tokyo (2005). Hitoshi Abe delivered the John Dinkeloo Memorial Lecture at the University of Michigan in March, 2005, an annual event celebrating innovative forms of construction and architectural practice. The book includes an interview with Gretchen Wilkins and essays by Ken Tadashi Oshima and George Wagner.